CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE & EQUITABLE APPROACHES TO SERVE & TRAIN OUR HOMELESS VETERAN POPULATION - April 1, 2021

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
& EQUITABLE APPROACHES
TO SERVE &
TRAIN OUR HOMELESS
VETERAN POPULATION

 April 1, 2021

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Kimberly Harris- Researcher & Evaluator
              Educa Consulting
                   Dr. Kimberly N. Harris (Kim) is a social science
                   researcher and evaluator located in Durham,
                   North Carolina.

                   Specializing in workforce development and
                   organizational behavior, Kim’s work is framed by
                   a social justice and cultural relevance lens. Kim
                   began her research career conducting workforce
                   development research. She has conducted
                   independent research on workforce development
                   issues including diversifying and democratizing
                   industries such as STEM, in which women and
                   people of color are under-represented as
                   employees.

                   A 2020 Alumnus of the Annie E. Casey/Expanding
                   the Bench Leaders in Equitable Evaluation ad
                   Diversity (LEEAD), Kim is trained in culturally
                   competent and culturally responsive & equitable
                   research and evaluation approaches.

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Today’s Goals

       • Overview of Culturally Responsive and Equitable
         Approach
       • Benefits
       • Considerations
           o Questions
           o Checklist

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND
EQUITABLE?

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Components
• Non-Assuming
• Acknowledges Barriers and Challenges
• Prioritizes Customer Voice
• Utilizes Customer Insight
     o     Program   Planning
     o     Program   Design
     o     Program   Implementation
     o     Program   Assessment

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Why Consider Equity in HVRP?

• Trust                    • On-going Stakeholder
                             Feedback
• Positive Relationships
                           • Contextualized Solutions
• Increased Veteran
  Engagement               • Increased Collaboration
                             and Partnerships
• Improved Outcomes
• Harm Reduction

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4/4/2021

Grounding Questions
• Do you discuss notion of Implicit Bias with your
  staff or colleagues?

• How might Implicit Bias change the way you
  interact with veterans, and they way they interact
  with you, other service providers, and employers?

• How does a history of homelessness impact
  cultural and equity considerations?

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Grounding Questions
• What challenges have you encountered in prompting
  cultural equity and inclusiveness in your HVRP grant?

• How have veterans you’ve served reflected on
  instances when they feel welcome, or unwelcome,
  when accessing services?

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Considerations
                                                  Checklist
 1.   Use a variety of sources to learn about the cultural
      heritage of veterans in your service area, including:
      a. Local cultural and historical organizations.
      b. Veteran peer groups.
      c. Associations for veterans of different identities and backgrounds (i.e. female veterans,
      veterans of color, Latinx veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans, etc.)
 2.   Seek information to better understand the cultural context
      of the communities and areas that veterans call home, including:
      a. Temporary housing sites such as shelters, therapeutic communities, homeless villages, etc.).
      b. Remote areas.
      c. Groups or communities “on the streets” or in other areas deemed uninhabitable.
 3.   Conduct ongoing internal check-ins to examine the potential impact of stereotypes and personal
      bias around race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status and other individual differences.

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Considerations
                                                 Checklist
 4. Note the similarities and differences of life experiences between the team and the veteran
     communities in service area and consider how those dynamics might impact interactions /
     service providing.
 5. Deliberately include time in discussions and planning to discuss cultural bias and contextual
     issues that will /could impact interactions / providing services.
 6. Engage community members and other stakeholders, including veterans in:
     • Identifying what questions to ask.
     • Learning what equity means to veterans in your service area.
     • Creating and or tailoring culturally responsive data collection approaches when needed.
 7. Actively seek to understand the role trauma plays in exacerbating veteran’s challenges with
     housing and employment stability.

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E-mail questions to:
                   contact@nvtac.org

            Continue the conversation at:
           nvtac.org/nvtac-knowledge-network/

4/2/2021